Not since Camelot Systems, or its attempted revival with Sovereign Modding Empire, have we modders had a mod-dedicated community of significant size to call home. We have subsisted as a side attraction for far too long. It is time we stake our own territory, a place to call home.

If I may present to you,

ModcraftersClan [MC]

Subject: Starcraft Modding Clan

Purpose: To educate, support, promote, motivate, and network its members.

Objective: To be a structured clan of elite modding professionals.

EducateWe will emphasize producing tutorials, example mods, and answering questions. Even the best modders were once new, and their first projects weren't their proudest accomplishment, but rather a necessity of growth. If Starcraft modding is to continue, the community must preserve and pass on its accumulated knowledge to succeeding generations of modders.

SupportDuring the course of mod development, problems are guaranteed to arise. When we find ourselves stumped and in need of help, where do we turn? We will support one another, both newbie and veteran alike, for the sake of our craft.

PromoteIf people are going to play a mod, they have to know about it. We will work together to raise awareness and visibility of our mods across the internet. We will offer hosting, spotlights, and use our connections with various Starcraft sites to advertise. We will continue the traditions of Mod Night, organize events and competitions. A Hall of Fame will be established for the most influential mods and their creators. We will seek to interview such people, with questions suggested by our members.

MotivateI can hear you laughing. How, you snort. After all, you can drag a horse to water, but you can't make him drink, right? The answer is, the horse has to want to drink. When all the best horses are drinking from a special trough, you bet that other horse is going to want some too.

Elite: To be a full member, you must prove your skill and earn the respect of the community. All are welcome to take part, but to wear our tag it must be earned. A title should have substance, right? Where is the value if it isn't earned?

Benefits: Membership will entail its own tangible perks as well, such as the possibility for your own space on our server. No more annoying Rapidshare links or Imageshack screenshots.

Standards: Yes, we'll actually have them. You don't need a clan to mod. So what does it really offer? For one, I want to offer standards. A bar people can see and set as a goal to rise to. We will be a group identified as one of the elite, whose title holds weight and means something.

Reputation: Once a member, you will have a documented reputation. Modders are infamous for being unreliable, lazy, and lacking dedication. We will not abide by those excuses, instead requiring a level of accountability from our members. Your reputation will serve as your rank, a tool by which others can assess your ability to work in a team where others will count on you to pull your weight and not leave them hanging. Even I will start at ground zero, and will need to earn every ounce of my reputation through contributions such as tutorials, weekly updates on my project, and delivering on my word.

Updates: If you choose to advertise your current project, we as the community will require you to make at least one update per week. You will need something to show progress and retention of momentum. As a structured clan, this is a formalized version of what a community already demands at an unspoken level.

NetworkAs a clan community, we are in the business of building bonds and forging friendships that can last well beyond Starcraft. Talent often connects with talent, and from that spark collaborative projects are born. One person's strength might be another's deficit, and so we link together as gears, pushing and being pushed, to achieve something grand.

Timeline and GoalsWe will incubate as a forum clan, establishing our expectations and conduct with a budding membership. If proven successful, we will blossom into a complete website.

After over ten years, the only thing that could possibly kill Starcraft modding is Starcraft 2 itself (look at Diablo when Diablo II released). Should that occur, our contingency will be the archival of our entire modding world, to preserve its rich history. In the span between now and SC2's release, we will have laid the groundwork for a clan dynamic that could easily transition to SC2 if we choose, or merely include it under our roster. We are, after all, the Modcrafters.

What now?Speak your mind. Are you for or against? Do you have reservations, suggestions, or any other feedback?

If you have skills in web development, particularly PHP or another scripting language, I would love to hear from you.

If you run a website, I am open to talks of affiliation and collaboration. We needn't be divided with arms raised in competition.